


Comfort

by AuthorInDistress



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drabble, Friendship, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 22:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15672525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorInDistress/pseuds/AuthorInDistress
Summary: In which Keith has some much needed comfort from Hunk after a run-in with pirates.





	Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Just something small.

.

Hunk was a fidgeter.

He found it easing to move around than to stay still as staying still came with cramps or pins-and-needles, achy muscles and just a general feeling of anxiousness. Whether he was nervous or excited, he’d wriggle or tap his toes or fingers and shift around until it then became odd to see him stop.

Like another side to a coin however, Keith was a very stiff person. Most of their interactions had included him standing off to one side, sitting carefully at the table, or napping whenever they each got the chance. He was most animated when fighting or flying but in general, as a person, he could pass as a statue.

Even sleeping, he was so still he looked fake. If it weren’t for the bruises and the rise and fall of his chest, he could have been a wax figure.

Hunk snorted to himself and he watched him sleep, rubbing his hands together in his lap and chewing on his lip. Maybe being still was what made Keith such a good hugger too. He didn’t squeeze so he could be squeezed instead and that was a lot more satisfying as a hug than getting into a python grip instead.

The castle beeped to let him know a varga had passed and he stretched his arms over his head, looking down at Keith to check that everything was still okay.

His vitals and so on all still seemed fine but his hair was limp as he lay there and Hunk immediately straightened when he noticed. This was bad. His hair was supposed to be bouncy, behaved and thick, not lifeless and damp. He assigned one of the mice to keep an eye out as he quickly ran to Keith’s room, grabbed his hairbrush, and ran back.

He spent the next ten ticks methodically combing Keith’s hair until it retained some of it’s usual shine. As he brushed, he felt anger start to bubble under his current melancholy mood. It wasn’t fair that his friends were hurt so often and so badly when all they were doing was trying to help others and save lives. It wasn’t _right._

Keith had been on a mission with Lance and Hunk when he’d been hurt this time and it had been terrifying to see.

They’d walked right into a pirates’ trap, one that Keith had said might be likely but they’d dismissed it as him being as suspicious and negative as he always was. He’d been right however, and he’d paid for it.

Hunk sighed, putting the brush down only to jump out of his skin when one of the mice scampered under his legs and ran out toward the door. Once his heart calmed down, he put his head in his hands. He loved the little guys but they were great at giving him a heart attack now-and-again.

“Phew.” He rolled his eyes at himself, rubbing at his face, “I’ve got to get used to that.”

A second later, there was the sound of a soft breath, a hum of someone waking.

“… Hunk?” Hunk lifted his head from his hands, looking down to see Keith blinking up at him. His voice was raspy, from both pain and exhaustion, and he yawned before adding, “Where are we?”

“Keith! Hey! You’re – You’re awake, you’re okay,” Hunk leant forward, his heart pounding again though this time, it was from happiness, “You’re in the castle, it’s okay. We’re back, Allura got us back. And Pidge, and Shiro. And Coran, I think, but he’s not really speaking much right now so I don’t know about him but we think he’s upset because the pirates had – ”

“Hunk.” Keith cut him off, trying to sit up only to have his arms shake as he tried, “Are you okay?”

“Am _I –_ ?” Hunk stared at him, “Keith – you, uh. _I’m_ fine, you’re the one who was – you know.”

Keith gave him a dry smile, “I’m okay.” He said and the lie was so obvious he could practically see it.

Once they’d been captured before, they’d each been put in separate holding cells and Hunk had immediately heard Lance calling for someone to answer him when he’d come to. He’d yelled back but there had been no answer from Keith for what had felt like vargas until a screen had filled their walls and they’d seen him themselves.

He’d been chained down over the floor, half aware of what was happening and they’d made them watch.

Keith’s skill in a fight had apparently become a universe-wide rumour and their captors loved the idea of having him at their mercy. It had been mostly beatings. Some shocks. Hunk had watched it all frozen, hearing Lance pound again and again over the wall beside him but he hadn’t been able to look away himself, to shout or to even just _move._

Eventually, when Keith had been kicked aside, he felt himself fall to his knees, so sure that he’d been dead and letting tears prick in his eyes. Then he’d heard him moan, seen his fingers curl but another kick had sent him flying back and the camera had shut off.

Lance had gone hoarse but he’d still screamed at even that, “No! _Hey!_ Hey, you turn that back on, what are you doing to him?!” Hunk had stayed on his knees, in shock, “Hey you quiznacking _cowards!_ Come try and beat someone who’s got their hands free! COME ON!   _I’ll kill you for this!”_

Eventually, he’d gone silent as well. And then there had been an explosion. Their lions had arrived with Allura and Pidge in theirs and Shiro in the black lion to help. Once his door had deactivated, Hunk had moved more than he had in vargas, kicking it aside and propelling himself down the corridors.

He’d run into two pirates and had knocked them down, skidding around a corner to find his helmet and bayard and arming himself to take down the rest. He’d found Keith ten pirates later and he’d been as still as he usually was but at that time, it had been so much harder to see.

“Keith?” He’d slid over blood on the floor, holding Keith’s head and lifting it off of the floor and onto his knees, “Keith come on. Open your eyes, talk to me.”

Pidge had found him a second later, scanning Keith’s vitals and telling Allura that he needed medical attention immediately. They’d left the ship without power and on fire, flying their lions back to the castle just before it had exploded.

Shiro had stayed with Keith through the first half of his healing but once he’d come out of the pod, Allura had ordered him to sleep and Hunk had offered to stay instead. Now however, Keith was awake and everyone else should know it.

He stood, gesturing toward the door, “I uh – I’ll just go get everyone and – ”

Keith tried to sit up again, shaking his head, “Wait.” He said, “Not yet. Please. I don’t – I mean I’m not – ”

Hunk shifted on his feet, “Okay. They don’t need to know yet.” Keith looked at him, both grateful and relieved, “I could give you some time alone too, if you want?” He said, taking a step back only to pause and double back at the new look that Keith gave him, “Or … not?”

Keith blinked, “Sorry. No, it’s okay. You can go.” He offered it like it was a favour and not what he really wanted.

Hunk narrowed his eyes, acting-annoyed, “What, I left food goo on my chin or something and it’s too disgusting to look at?”

Keith looked confused, “No?”

“Then why do you want me to leave?”

“I don’t,” Keith said, earnestly, “I thought _you_ wanted to leave.”

“No,” Hunk gave him a look, “I thought _you_ wanted _me_ to leave.”

“I don’t,” Keith repeatedly, looking bewildered but not as hollow as he had been when he’d first woken up so that was an victory on it’s own. Hunk sat back down with a huff, his overacting enough that Keith now realised what he’d been doing and smiled again, “… you really don’t have to stay you know.”

“You’re kicking me out again?”

Keith rolled his eyes, leaning back against the pillows only to wince and hug himself. They sat in silence for a while then, Hunk’s fidgeting the only sound in the room as he rubbed his knees together and listened to the rustling sound they created.

After saying nothing for what felt like a varga however, Keith finally shifted and turned to look at him, “Hey Hunk? Can I … can I ask you something?”

Hunk frowned, thinking, “Well, that depends. Is it a weird question or a scary or hard favour?”

“Neither.” Keith said, raising an eyebrow, “I just – wanted to ask what you do. When you’re scared.”

“What I do?”

“Yeah, like. How do you – _stop_ – being scared?”

Oh. Hunk made a face, deciding to be honest, “I kinda _don’t_ stop.” He admitted, “It’s always there really, but sometimes I just ignore it, if I have to.”

“If you have to.” Keith repeated and he nodded.

“Yeah like if someone I know is in danger, or if I have to fight enemies and stuff, and I mean, the universe _depends_ on us so I have to ignore it sometimes.”

“So you just push it aside?” Keith checked, “You don’t think about it.”

“Well I mean, if it’s little fears like – a big monster or a huge Galra fleet, then yeah. I push it aside.” He shrugged, “But big fears, the deeper ones? Like my fear that I’ll die before I see my family again. Or that they’ll die before I see them again. Or that we’ll fail this fight or I won’t be able to do enough? Yeah those, I keep inside until I have the chance to let them out.”

“But when do you get that chance?” Keith asked him softly.

“Usually moments like this,” Hunk said, gesturing between them both, “Or if I’m talking to someone I really trust or admire. Coran’s pretty good for it too actually. Not that I don’t trust or admire him either, he’s just – good for it.”

Keith nodded, looking both nervous and thoughtful and it was almost thrilling to see expressions on him that he never usually showed.

“Did you … want to let your fears out?” Hunk asked when he didn’t offer anything else for a while and Keith shook his head.

“No. But I am going to ask you something weird now.”

“Oh no.”

“Would you stay here?” Keith stopped him before he could fully panic or tease, his eyes wide with uncertainty, “For a little longer? With me?” He bit his lip, “I think I’d like to keep my fears in for a little longer but I kinda don’t want to be alone either.”

“Sure I can stay.” Hunk said, grinning, “And that’s not weird.”

“No it is,” Keith countered, “Because. I don’t mean for you to just stay as in, just sitting in that chair. I mean – could you – ?” He gestured next to him, patting the bed and Hunk felt his eyebrows raise.

“Oh.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to!” Keith immediately cut anything that he was going to say off, “I don’t mind if you don’t, it’s just a suggestion. I just – it’s cold ad I don’t want to be alone, but I’m not guilt-tripping you I swear.” Hunk continued to stare at him and he slumped back, “Forget it. I’m sorry. Just – forget I said anything.”

He glanced aside, as though expecting Hunk to just up and leave now, only to startle when the bed dipped instead. Hunk kicked his shoes off, wriggling under the blanket and there was more than enough room for them both but they still pressed together and despite the ‘weirdness’ of it all it was nice and almost calming to be like this with someone.

Keith stared at him, hesitant, but when it didn’t look like Hunk was planning on leaving he slowly turned to avoid falling off the bed and lay his head on his chest.

“Um. Is this ... okay?” He asked, resting a hand beside his head and staring down the bed rather than up at Hunk.

Hunk nodded, brushing some of Keith’s hair aside a little so it didn’t tickle his neck and chin so much.

“Yeah. It’s comfy.” He said, honestly, and he felt Keith give a short laugh at that before falling back into his general stillness. “Are _you_ okay?” Hunk then thought to check and he nodded.

“Yeah.” He said, “I’m good.” He almost lapsed back into silence again before adding, “Hunk? Thanks.”

Hunk beamed, “Hey I’m getting a nap too, no problem.” He said and Keith’s body relaxed over him, his hands uncurling and his muscles falling limp like it was a direct reaction to Hunk’s comforting.

He must have fallen asleep a little while later too and Hunk asked the castle to give him a hologram of a book to read as he lay there, one hand on Keith’s head when it started to get antsy from laying still for so long.

He read the fairytale the castle had given him and played with dark strands of hair, wondering what he’d say if anyone else walked in as it was obvious that Keith didn’t want anyone to know how scared he was feeling right now. At least not until he was ready.

He could always just say that Keith had been cold and that he’d gotten tired himself. Other than Shiro, he was sure the rest of them would believe that.

Keith hummed over him, settling closer and sighing. His bruises were slowly fading from the healing drought that he’d been given when unconscious and Hunk promised himself internally that he’d help as much as he could with all the internal pain that the drought wouldn’t fix.

Because even though it wasn't fair that his friends would get hurt, at least they had each other to help them heal.

.

**Author's Note:**

> Can we seen as shipping or not, I don't mind. Take what you will from this, I was just bored at work :)
> 
> Comments are Golden!


End file.
